Why does Sprite taste different when drunk from a can than it does from a soda fountain?

Question

Sprite from a soda fountain sometimes (but not always) tastes different than the Sprite from a can or bottle - more "plastic-y," I guess. I sent an inquiry to Coca-Cola, but I just got lots of apologies for my "unsatisfactory Coca-Cola experience," apologies that they try hard for quality control, and a coupon for a free 12-pack of Coke. Which I appreciate, but I wish someone would have actually read my question :-) So I pose it to you, Virtual World - anyone know?

Answer 1

When you get a drink from a soda fountain, there are bags of syrup(Coke, Sprite, etc) and whatever kind of air makes it carbonated hooked into the back of it as well as a direct line to the local tap water. It's the tap water and how properly the machine is working (and how clean it is) that determines the variation of taste. The machine more or less mixes the three together. When you buy a can or bottle, it's already been mixed at a plant and it's bottled. Since different plants bottle millions of drinks to distribute in their area, they will all taste the same. Even bottled drinks taste a little different if you travel outside of the distribution area.

Answer 2

there are a couple possibilities.
- soda fountains are calibrated by the Coca Cola company when they install them. the technician sets a certain amount of soda and a certain amount of syrup to pour into the cup. someone can change the calibration or it can just settle over time, distorting the taste of the beverage.
- soda, like anything else stored in a can, tends to take on a bit of the flavor of the can ... could be true with a bottle too.
the change in flavor is most likely caused by the first situation i described. there are certain places i will not buy a fountain beverage from for the exact same reason.

Answer 3

Canned Sprite can have different ingredients than Sprite from a Soda fountain. The main difference is with the sweetener. Sometimes they use corn syrup, sometimes white sugar. The diet sodas vary even more between a mixture of aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, and saccharin as the sweetener. Each of these gives the soda a distinctly different taste.

The mixture of syrup to carbonated water can vary between cans and between the soda fountain. Occasionally, cans are kept for a long time in high heat. That can degrade the flavor considerably.

Answer 4

I notice the same things you do when drinking pop from a fountain can and bottle. I believe that when the pop is put into a can it takes on some of the taste from the aluminum, i think when put into a bottle it may take some taste from the botttle, and when dispersed from a fountain the way the pop is made is by mixing soda water with the flavoring of the pop you choose so there is a different maybe more watery taste when drinking from a fountain.

Answer 5

the fountain sprite mixes the syrup and seltzer water when you get and some are water down depending on where you get it from....i used to work for a company that would use only half the syrup or concentrate to stretch it........ the sprite is mixed first then distributed to the bottles and cans which give it a different taste

Answer 6

Drinks from soda fountains don't have the mixture ratio so well controlled than the ones in cans. Sometimes you get more concentrate, sometimes less. The water can be of lower quality as well.

Answer 7

All sodas and other drinks taste completely different from a can, bottle, or fountain. Even draft beer tastes different than bottled or canned. It's just about the freshness and the way it is packages and dispensed.

Answer 8

you got some good responds, but I believe the reason for this is when you drink the pop from a can or bottle the drink goes thru your taste buds. compared to the fountain drink, the carbonation goes thru your nose {when not using a lid} some times tingles also the temperature of the drinks makes a lot of difference in taste usually the fountain drinks are dispensed at a lower temperature than the drinks from a cooler

Answer 9

Milu got it right... Drinks from soda fountains don't have the mixture ratio so well controlled than the ones in cans. Sometimes you get more concentrate, sometimes less. The water can be of lower quality as well.

Answer 10

The syrup and the carbonated water are mixed in a soda fountain so the amount of each can be adjusted sweeter or more bubbles ect.